Stonehenge - Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
Amesbury, England
28.08.2017
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in Amesbury, England. It is one of the most famous and mysterious ancient structures in the world. The monument consists of a ring of standing stones, each around 13 feet high, seven feet wide, and weighing around 25 tons. It is estimated that the stones were erected between 3000 BC to 2000 BC, making it over 5000 years old.
The origin and purpose of Stonehenge are still a subject of debate and speculation among historians and archaeologists. It is believed that the monument was built in several stages, with the first structure being a circular ditch and bank. The stones were later added in a horseshoe shape, with the larger stones, called sarsens, forming the outer circle and the smaller ones, known as bluestones, making the inner circle.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Stonehenge is its astronomical alignment. The monument is aligned with the summer solstice sunrise and winter solstice sunset. This has led many to believe that it was used as a celestial calendar or a place for astronomical observations. However, there are also theories that suggest it was a burial site or a religious center.
Stonehenge is not just a standalone monument, but it is also part of a larger complex of ancient structures and burial mounds in the area. These include the Cursus, a long rectangular earthwork, and the Avenue, a processional route that leads to Stonehenge from the River Avon. The site has also been associated with the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
In 1986, Stonehenge was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its outstanding universal value and its cultural significance. Today, it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the United Kingdom, drawing millions of visitors each year.
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Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. The two sanctuaries consist of circles of menhirs arranged in a pattern whose astronomical significance is still being explored. These holy places and the nearby Neolithic sites are an incomparable testimony to prehistoric times.
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) in Wiltshire, England. The WHS covers two large areas of land separated by about 24 kilometres (15 mi), rather than a specific monument or building. The sites were inscribed as co-listings in 1986. Some large and well known monuments within the WHS are listed below, but the area also has an exceptionally high density of small-scale archaeological sites, particularly from the prehistoric period. More than 700 individual archaeological features have been identified. There are 160 separate scheduled monuments, covering 415 items or features.
